BBS 1: Little Red Riding
by Awen Sofer
Summary: Introducing Bleach Bedtime Stories: this is the first in a series of stories using the Bleach characters to tell reinvented tales based on popular children's bedtime stories. This story is NOT for children. Chiaki had heard stories about the transforming fox-wolf, Sajin, all of her life. Soon the fantasy of him would become her reality.
1. Chapter 1

This is the first installment in a series of stories using Bleach characters for reimaginings of well known bedtime stories that are definitely not for children. My original intentions for these stories was for them to be one shots, but it appears each one will be a little mini-story of its own. Thanks to my beta, xfang-girlx, who read over this for me to find errors and convinced me it was worth publishing. I hope you enjoy it. :D

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Bleach Bedtime Stories I: Little Red Riding Hood

Chiaki suspiciously glared at her rambling grandmother wearing her incredulity like a badge. She did not believe a word coming out of the old woman's mouth. Convinced her grandmother had lost her mind, she fought back the tears that sprang to the corners of her eyes. She had heard stories for years of the shape shifting fox-wolf that lived in this forest. As she had gotten older, more details had been added to the many tales. Now that she was a grown woman, the stories had become erotic narratives making the creature out to be a seductive handsome man who preyed on innocent virgins. After finishing off the soup she had brought, her ailing grandmother had launched into a fervid retelling of yet another version of the bed time story of the fox-like animal that could morph into a human. To her dismay, this twist involved her grandmother on an extremely personal, and embarrassing, level.

"Grandmother!" Chiaki shrieked when she could not take it anymore. "Please stop! These stories of Sajin are nothing but children's bedtime stories that you've turned into dirty sex tales!"

Chiaki avoided looking at her grandmother who wore an apologetic smile. She felt a soft hand cover hers that were fiddling nervously with the braided tie on the red cape she held in her lap. It had been a gift given to her years ago by her loving grandmother. She had been told it would protect her. She assumed it meant she would be easy to see should she get lost in one of the frequent snowstorms they endured during the long winter months. No longer a child and sure of the path between her home and her grandmother's, she still wore the heavy cloak made of crimson wool not only because of the warmth it brought her but because of the comfort as well. She loved her grandmother, but today her patience had been tested to an end with yet another story of Sajin. This version with the extra added details of how he had seduced and nearly killed the sweet old granny holding her hand and staring at her with watery blue eyes had become too much for her to bear.

"My dear, you are old enough to know the truth now," her grandmother said, removing her hand and sitting back against the many pillows positioned to prop her up.

"What truth? What do you mean?" she questioned the woman skeptically, raising an eyebrow. She returned the unwavering gaze of the suddenly strong and clear blue eyes of her grandmother with her own eyes that were such a light blue they were nearly colorless. Twisting a long auburn red curl around her finger, she anxiously chewed her lower lip while waiting for the woman to continue. What other shocking revelation could be held in that mind hidden beneath a cap of perfectly coiffed white hair? She was somewhat fearful to find out.

"I barely escaped with my life from that foul beast," her grandmother said, pushing back the covers to stand up beside the bed.

"Granny, you shouldn't get out of bed," Chiaki protested, standing up as well. "You're sick."

Chiaki resisted the urge to turn away when her grandmother lifted the flower printed flannel nightgown to reveal a deep red scar in an arch shape on her side. She gasped when the little woman turned to reveal the other half of the scar on her back. Upon closer inspection, she could see individual teeth marks. A bite? What the hell...

"Granny - "

"Do you believe me yet?"

Chiaki dropped down heavily into the chair she had been sitting in before she fell to the floor. How could it be? Surely Granny had been attacked by one of the many wolves that live in the forest. Sajin was not real. She did not see her grandmother's disappointed frown because the woman had turned to get back into bed upon seeing the expression of disbelief still clearly borne on her granddaughter's lovely face.

"Just heed my words and be very careful. You better run along now. The sun is setting and we're due for a snow storm tonight," Granny informed her, arranging the covers as she prepared for sleep.

Chiaki silently rose from her chair and added a few sticks of wood to the fire. She hoped it would be enough to keep Granny warm through the night. Swinging her cloak over her back, she tightly tied the cord under her chin and pulled the hood over her head.

"I'll be back tomorrow to check on you," she assured Granny, receiving a silent nod in return. She had hurt her grandmother's feelings, but she just could not believe all of that ridiculous tripe about the transforming beast who used sex as a weapon in his human form and killed women, or tried to, for the fun of it after conquering them. Stepping out in the frigid air, she pulled her cloak around her, holding it with one hand while locking the door behind her.

Chiaki allowed her mind to wander as she stared up at the gloomy gray clouds that looked ready to burst from being so full of snowflakes. It would be dark soon so she had to hurry. Pulling her hood further over her head to shield her face from the howling wind, she shivered when another howl met her ears. Stopping momentarily, she shivered as a sensation as icy as the wind around her shot down her spine and dared to freeze her feet to the ground where she stood.

"Don't be stupid," she admonished herself. "It's just the wind and nothing more."

Staring at her feet, she kept her head lowered and ran.

~...~

Chiaki was on the verge of panicking; she should have been home by now. Turning around in slow circles, she uselessly tried to peer into the darkness to get her bearings. How could this happen? Home was not that far away but she had managed to become lost somehow. The snow had started to fall and covered the ground in a thin, white fluffy layer. It had been dark for more than an hour, and she should have reached her home long before the darkness fell. Her mother would be so worried. She was angry with herself for allowing her mind to wander and apparently her body with it. Her thoughts had fixated on the stories of Sajin while her mind tried to make sense of it all after seeing the scars on her grandmother's frail body. Then that damn howling that would not stop had driven her to distraction; the plaintive cries of the wolves in the woods searching their mate or just crying out for the hell of it to scare any hapless humans traveling home.

Chiaki suddenly felt weak and very tired. Since she had still been spinning in circles, the dizziness sent her down to her knees. Tears fell from her eyes as she gave in to the sense of hopelessness and panic. Her body trembled more from the swiftly dropping temperature than her tears which froze onto her cheeks from the strong wind that blew from the north.

"Help!" she screamed, hearing her voice echo back to her. It was as if nature was taunting her, reminding her how foolish and ridiculous she had been. Although she knew it was useless, she yelled out again. "Someone help me!"

Silence. Even the wind died down and stopped blowing like it was telling her no one would hear her and no one would be coming to save her. But it was wrong. Someone had heard her. And he was coming swiftly with his ears perked up and his bushy tail held high in the air. He had been calling her for hours, waiting for her to respond. Finally she had answered his calls, and he was coming to get her.

~...~

Chiaki lay on the ground, half way covered by the snow that had continued to fall at an ever-increasing speed. Her body was numb at this time. She no longer felt the painful cold sinking into her muscles and reaching her bones, freezing her body ever so slowly. Drowsiness encompassed her, and she wanted to give into the nothingness. But her spirit would not allow her to relinquish her life just yet. Blinking slowly, she saw the darkness itself move and come toward her. She could hear panting, like that of a dog. Her eyelids lowered and the sound of the heavy breathing got louder as the animal came closer. When they reopened, he was standing in front of her, his long pink tongue lolling out of his mouth with drool dripping onto the snow in front of her face. Looking into the bright amber eyes, she reached out tentatively waiting to hear the undomesticated beast issue a growl in protest. This animal was something like a fox and a wolf combined, his russet colored fur was soft and thick beneath her fingertips. He was massive and bigger than average even for a wolf; her hand looked like a child's placed against his gargantuan head.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked, for some reason actually expecting an answer. Obviously the cold had gotten to her brain and numbed her ability to think rationally. This could all possibly be a hallucination. Her eyes were looking into the golden ones that suddenly took on a human appearance, losing their wild canine quality.

"No. I'm here to save you," a deep masculine voice told her.

Chiaki felt warmed by the voice. She closed her eyes when a pair of hands slid under her almost dead body.

"I will save you. Hang on for me. Don't die."

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To be continued...

Chapter 2 will be published in a few days (hopefully). :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chiaki awoke with a start. She was hot. Sweat rolled down her face and body, soaking the bed beneath her. This was not her bed. Her bed was soft and fluffy with a pillowy quilt that Granny had made just for her. This bed was made of straw and scratchy where the straw poked through the rough cotton cover. An animal skin blanket covered her body. Catching herself before she threw back the skin with disgust, she realized she was naked. Clutching the blanket made of black fur to her chin, she rolled over to look around the room instead of at the log wall in front of her. There was a plain, rough-hewn wooden table in the middle of the room with two chairs sitting at it. Across the room, a roaring fire that was the source of light and heat in the room was also cooking something inside the cauldron hanging above the flames.

"You're awake finally?" a man's voice inquired from somewhere.

Chiaki's eyes were drawn to the large man who moved and rose from the stool in the corner where he had been sitting. She gasped when the massive man seemed to get even bigger as he neared her. He was incredibly tall, probably closer to seven feet than six like most men. His hair was a startling reddish-brown color and long, flowing over his shoulders. She almost laughed at the funny little tufts that poked up on top like ears and was rimmed in black. His golden eyes seemed familiar like she had looked into those eyes before. He was not wearing a shirt and his chest was broad, hairless, and covered in defined muscles. Her eyes moved down his ridged abdomen to his incredibly low slung brown cotton pants that dared to be indecent. She looked away when her eyes saw where his hips narrowed and the muscles over his pelvic bones formed a downward slope as if pointing her toward something tempting. Closing her eyes, she shook her head to get rid of the mental images that formed in her overactive imagination as she recalled some of the erotic tales she had been told.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Chiaki was startled when he touched her arm and the bed moved beneath her when he sat down. His hand covered her shoulder, his fingers trailing down over her shoulder blade. Swallowing to dislodge the lump in her throat as she stared at him, she realized if this man desired to have her, there would be nothing she could do to stop him. He was large and muscled, and without a doubt incredibly strong. Her eyes met his to see a surprisingly tender expression there as his other huge hand pressed against her cheek.

"I-I'm fine. I was just a little dizzy," she lied to cover her licentious thoughts.

"You've been very ill. You've been asleep for the last three days," he informed her, edging closer to her on the bed.

"Don't come any closer to me," she gasped, holding the animal hide beneath her chin with a death grip.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I saved you," he told her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He could see the fear in her eyes as she stared at him in silence. "I would have already raped you and killed you if those were my objectives. I wouldn't have kept you alive for three days for such a cruel fate."

The scent of the food cooking in the pot reached her nose and made her stomach growl because it smelled wonderful. It reminded her of the smell of her mother's beef stew.

"You're hungry I hear," he said, smiling down at her.

"Yes, very," she replied, holding her hand over her stomach as if to keep it quiet and from growling again. Her eyes remained on him as he went to the small black iron pot. He moved gracefully and noiselessly for such a big man. Reaching for the big wooden bowl he held out to her, she noticed how badly her hands were shaking. "Could you...would you mind..."

Chiaki was mortified to have to ask him to feed her and thankfully he realized that. Without saying a word, he sat back down beside her to prepare to feed her. She observed his every movement as he blew on the steaming hot food then tested the temperature by touching it to his lower lip. Opening her mouth obediently when he pushed the spoon toward her, her eyes watched as his tongue darted out to lick the food from his lip. Her stomach clenched with a disturbing excitement, and she closed her eyes to accept the mouthful of food held out to her.

"There...how's that?" he questioned her after she chewed and swallowed.

"Oh, that's wonderful. It's better than my mother's," she admitted, ready for more. She was virtually salivating as he readied another spoonful for her. It was baffling to her which she wanted more; the stew or to kiss the lips that he used to test the temperature of it. Settling for the food and once it was gone, she grabbed the pillow to fluff it up a bit to lean against it in a half sitting up position. She was far too full to lie down flat.

"What's your name?" she asked, keeping her eyes on him as he sat down at the table to eat his dinner.

"Sajin," he replied calmly, surprised that she did not react adversely. "What? No screaming? No freaking out?"

"You said it yourself. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already," she said, feeling terrified but it was obvious she was covering it well. "My name is Chiaki."

"Well, Chiaki, didn't your grandmother tell you not to wander around in this forest. I'm sure she told you about me. I can only imagine the things she said," he grumbled, shoving a spoonful of the food into his mouth.

"Why did you bite her?" she boldly questioned him.

"It was my grandfather who tangled up with your feisty grandmother," he said, gracing her with a small smile before continuing. "She had been attacked by wolves. They did that to her...not him."

"Your grandfather? But how?" She stared at him in confusion as he quickly finished off the stew.

"No more questions. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Chiaki allowed the silence to fill the room between them. She did not think it was a good idea to make him angry. Turning onto her side, she gathered the blanket in fistfuls up to her chest and held it tightly as she stared at the wall. A knot hole in the log in front of her captured her attention, and she reached out to trace it with her finger as if it were the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. The bed moved as his heavy weight sat down on it.

"Wh-what are you do-doing?" she stammered, twisting around to see he was making himself comfortable on the bed behind her.

"I'm going to sleep. It would be a good idea for you to go to sleep as well," he grumbled with annoyance.

"Here? In the same bed?" she squeaked, grasping the cover for dear life as he tugged on it.

"Yes, of course in the same bed. Where do you think I've slept for the last few nights?" he asked her, his dark eyebrow shooting up on his forehead. "The first night was particularly fun. Having your freezing cold body pressed against mine to bring your body temperature back up. It was like holding on to a human iceberg."

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear..." she chanted, feeling as if she might die of embarrassment.

"It's okay," he told her, sitting up to kiss her on the forehead in an exceptionally chaste manner. "I had to do it to keep you from dying."

"What else do you plan to do to me?" she inquired, slapping her hand over her mouth. Her eyes held his as he stared at her while brushing his thumb across her cheek in the same way he was earlier.

"Nothing you don't want me to," he told her in a low, almost breathless voice. He smiled at her, then lay down on the bed.

Chiaki watched as he rolled onto his side to turn his back to her, pulling a different fur skin over his body to leave the one she held to her alone. After fully encompassing her body with her cover, she lay down beside him with her back to him.

"I should leave tomorrow to go home," she said, feeling his body tense momentarily. "My mother will be frantic."

"You're free to leave when you want," he informed her. "I only wanted to save your life, not hold you prisoner."

Chiaki waited a few minutes, her mind still full of questions about how he knew her grandmother. "Sajin," she ventured, pausing when he inhaled loudly with irritation. "Thank you for not letting me die."

"You're welcome," he responded, holding his breath when he felt her lay down next to him and put her arm over his waist.

Chiaki reveled in the warmth radiating from his body to hers. Pressing her cheek against his bare back, she sighed contentedly as the sleepiness overtook her. For some reason she had wanted to be near him and acted on the urge rather than fighting it.

Sajin sighed deeply forcing himself to lay on his side. He wanted to turn and take her into his arms, but if he did it would be a mistake. This whole thing had been a mistake. For years his family had succumbed to the curse and so far all had died. As if it weren't bad enough being doomed to forever be caught between the world of humans and animals, they also were fated to fall in love with the members of her family. His grandfather had fallen for her grandmother and met his demise while saving her from the wolves in the forest. His mother had been killed along with Chiaki's father when they were caught together one night in the middle of a passionate tryst. He doubted her grandmother or mother had divulged those bedtime stories to her. For years he had watched her going back and forth through the forest to her grandmother's house and vowed to stay away from her. It had been his desire to not only stay alive but to hopefully break the curse. However, several nights ago his resolve had broken. He could no longer stand the loneliness, the longing within his heart. He needed her. By keeping her distracted and fearful with his howling, he had caused her to become disoriented and lost in the snow storm. Now that he had her, he was not sure what to do with her: love her and rush head long to his death or kill her and end this all.

"Sajin," she murmured, pressing her body next to his.

Dammit. In this moment he could almost hear death knocking at his door.

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To be continued...Chapter 3 coming soon.

The chapters are short but this was supposed to be a one shot after all. :D


	3. Chapter 3

Sajin awoke the next morning alone. He was not surprised. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and sighed loudly to combat the ever present empty feeling that invaded him once more. A low thumping sound like a wooden spoon against metal caught his attention, then he heard humming from a feminine source. Sitting up in the bed, he saw her silhouette in the low light. Changing into his canine form, he could immediately see her with clarity in the dimness. She was dressed in her white cotton slip that had been under her dress and covered her nearly as much as the dress did with the exception of the thin straps and higher hem line. He still found her an enchanting sight standing over the frying pan with her hair falling around her shoulders and dropping into her face as she pushed around the pieces of ham and the eggs to cook them.

"So you found my larder and invaded it did you?" he teased, after sneaking up behind her on his padded paws. Before she could turn around, he stood above her in his human form. In his effort to surprise her, he had forgotten that switching between forms would leave him naked. When her eyes widened to the point he was afraid they would pop out of her head, he looked down to see she was staring at his manhood which also stood up as straight and tall as him on two his two human feet.

"Oh, my," she gasped, unable to look away.

"Uh...I'm sorry," he apologized covering himself with his hands before he turned around to move swiftly to the bed retrieve his pants.

"Don't be," she rejoined in a breathy voice that made him ache.

Sajin wanted her so badly and from the sound of her voice she shared the sentiment. Once again moving close to her after getting halfway dressed, he was thankful for the smell of the food to cover the obvious scent of desire emanating from every pore of her skin in the form of pheromones he could detect with his sensitive nose. It was on a base instinctual level that he could sense them, and it effected him greatly. He might have to visit the frigid stream to take a dip before breakfast to get things under control.

"Sajin, I just wanted to thank you," she said, wrapping a thick piece of cloth around the handle to carry the skillet to the table.

"It wasn't necessary, I assure you," he responded, taking great care not to hurt himself when he sat down in the chair.

Chiaki stood beside the chair, putting her hand on his bare shoulder. She felt his skin erupt into goose-flesh under her touch. Lowering her head, she pressed a gentle kiss to temple. Before she could move away, his arm wrapped her waist to hold her still. Her hands went to his head, her fingers brushing through the slightly coarse strands of reddish-brown.

"What big eyes you have," she said, staring into his golden irises.

"All the better to see you with, my dear," he returned, sliding his hand over her backside and down her leg over the thin cotton material.

"What big lips you have," she murmured, tracing his full pink lips with her forefinger.

"All the better to kiss you with, my dear." He held his breath as she pressed her lips gently to his as his hand slid under the hem of her slip.

Chiaki was beginning to tremble as his hand moved up her leg. Hoping he did not notice the tremor in her voice, she almost gasped, "What big hands you have."

"All the better to feel you with, my dear." He smiled lecherously when she cried out in surprise as he groped her bare butt cheek and squeezed.

"Sajin, I..." She was speechless when he pushed up her slip and pulled her down on to his lap. Feeling the urgency of his need pressing against her behind, she felt like she was under a spell as she stared into his golden eyes that also relayed his obvious arousal.

"Tell me no if you don't want this," he said, holding her down on his lap as he raised his hips. He grunted from the friction caused by his pants and her body scraping across his engorged member.

"Yes, I want this," she breathed, pulling his mouth to hers for the ravenous kiss reserved for the sexually repressed and presently extremely aroused. Without removing her lips from his, she stood up from his lap.

Sajin growled from deep in his throat when he felt her fingers working at his pants and pushing away to the material to free him. He put his hands around her waist, lifting her over his lap before slowly lowering her onto his stiff manhood. For some reason he found it shocking when her tongue slid into his mouth to seek his.

Chiaki resisted the compulsion to pull her mouth away from his to issue a cry of both pleasure and pain. She was not a virgin but it had been a very time long since she had been with a man. She had stupidly assumed that not being a virgin would keep her safe from the wiles of the amazingly enchanting man who was embedded deep within her body. In fact, it seemed to make her yearning for him more insistent. Since her grandmother and mother had lost their husbands in freak, tragic accidents, she had refused to marry but that had not kept her from experiencing certain passions meant to be shared between consenting adults.

Sajin held her down on top of him as he rocked his hips underneath her. It pleased him immensely on a physical and emotional level to bring each gasp or sigh of pleasure to her lips. Holding onto her hips, her lifted her easily before burying himself deep inside of her again. He pressed his face against her chest, kissing her firm breasts as she began moving herself up and down.

Chiaki dug her fingers into his broad shoulders feeling the muscles straining beneath her fingertips. She kissed his forehead that was beginning to bead with pearly drops of sweat. Licking her lips, she tasted the saltiness of his skin which excited her even more. Her body shuddered with satisfaction, and she cried out his name.

"Will you be mine forever?" he asked her, knowing forever was a very short time for him.

"Yes, I will," she answered before moaning loudly.

"Come on," he whispered in her ear, feeling her body trembling in his arms. The way her body tightened around him told him she was close to experiencing the ultimate ecstasy. "Let me take you there. I know you want to."

"Yes, Sajin, yes!" she cried out, pressing her mouth to his to cover her loud sounds of pleasure.

Sajin wanted to hear her and pushed her back with his hand against her neck. He stared at her as she bit her lower lip to stifle her cry into a moan. Imploring her to let him hear everything she was feeling, he licked her neck from her collarbone to below her ear. He could not stop the smile from pulling as his lips as she shivered and cried out his name. Pressing his hands to her shoulder blades, he held her against his chest as she writhed on his lap to slowly drive him crazy until he exploded inside of her. His lips covered her neck in kisses while he whimpered and pushed into her with jerky thrusts as ripples of pleasure rocketed through his body.

Chiaki screamed his name when she felt his sharp teeth sink into her skin. It was a stunning reminder that he was still part canine with the capacity to kill her.

"Sajin please," she begged when the pain became worse and blood trickled down her neck.

"With the shedding of blood, two shall become one. It's a blood tie, a bond to unite us," he explained to calm the fears in her eyes. "I won't kill you."

_Although you might kill me if someone else doesn't_, he thought to himself, looking into her pale colored eyes. For once, and possibly the last time, in his life he found something to fear - and love.

~/0\~

"Aren't you going home?" Sajin asked her a few days later. He did not want her to leave but he was afraid for her to stay any longer. Soon they would be coming to find her and they would undoubtedly kill him.

"Do you want me to leave?" she inquired, looking up from the cooking pot. For the last several days they had done nothing but eat, sleep, and make love.

"I'm trying to protect us both. Go home, Chiaki," he ordered with a gruff edge to his voice. Pain shot through his heart like an arrow from the crestfallen expression on her face.

"Okay. Fine," she said, moving to retrieve her cloak from the unoccupied chair at the table. She stopped when his hand covered hers. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose before kissing her briefly.

"Just let them know you are alive and well. Then come back to me...please," he implored her, inhaling her scent deeply. His lips pressed against hers to tell her good-bye without saying the words. It hurt too much to speak them out loud.

~/0\~

"He found you, didn't he?" Granny asked, her ancient knowing eyes studying the glowing face of her granddaughter. She knew that look all too well because she had worn it once herself.

"What are you talking about?" Chiaki hoped to evade the question but she knew there was no way her grandmother would let it go. Bringing her eyes to meet the piercing blue ones that seemed to looked deep within at her secrets, she inquired, "What really happened to you?"

Chiaki stared at her grandmother, waiting patiently for her to begin speaking. She sat up taller when the woman inhaled to begin telling the real story of what happened so long ago.

"He died because of me. Both of them did," her grandmother answered with tears in her eyes.

At first the story sounded very much like her own. Granny had been returning home through the woods when she was attacked by a pack of wolves and left for dead. A huge canine appeared and later she found that she had been carried to safety and nursed back to health by a handsome man. She returned home to her husband but was unable to stay away from the captivating man who had saved her life. Then things went horribly wrong.

Chiaki forced herself to sit and listen as the story unfolded through her grandmother's narrative. It could very well be way her story ends if she does not do something to make the ending different. She would have to listen to make things change for her and Sajin.

After taking a deep, steadying breath to calm her nerves, Granny continued. She would sneak away to meet her lover in the forest where they would enjoy each other's company. One day her husband followed her without her knowing. A horrible fight ensued which ended in the deaths of both of the men she loved.

"What about my Father? What happened to him?" Chiaki asked, swallowing hard.

"He became involved with a female Komamura," her grandmother answered, her breath coming in shaking gasps. "Your mother found them in the barn together one day, in the hayloft. She killed both of them with a pitchfork."

"No," she breathed, covering her mouth before she could say anything else. How could her gentle loving mother kill anyone especially the man she loved?

"Anger and hate can make people do strange things, things they would never be capable of doing otherwise." Granny clutched her hand, staring into her granddaughter's eyes before issuing a dire warning. "Be careful, Chiaki. The Komamura's are responsible for many tragedies in our family."

"It sounds like we're responsible for causing them just as much sorrow. Good-bye, Granny," she said in an emotionless voice, standing up to leave.

"Wait!" the old woman cried out with such urgency it made the girl immediately halt. "If you're going to be with him, make a different ending for your story."

"I intend to."

* * *

The fourth and final chapter will be published tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Sajin followed the sound of her crying to find her. Morphing into his canine form, he had used his acute senses to pick up on any sounds in the forest. He guessed she had been trying to find her way back to his home when she gave up to sit down and cry. Finding her beneath a tree with her red cloak wrapped around her body for warmth, he padded up to her without changing to a human to see how she would react. This would be the most telling event in their relationship and would determine if there would be any reason to continue it. Poking his nose under the hood, he heard her gasp and waited.

Chiaki buried her fingers in the abundant fur of his winter coat around his neck and leaned forward. She giggled lightly as he licked the tears from her face with his warm wet tongue. When he came closer, nearly pushing her over with his big body, she pressed her face into the fur of his neck.

"I love you, Sajin. I don't want anything to ever happen to you," she murmured, hugging him around his neck.

"Come home," he growled, chuffing in her ear.

"I don't want to go back!" she wailed, holding onto him tighter with fistfuls of his fur in her hands.

"No. Not your home. Come home with me," he clarified, switching to his human form.

Chiaki encompassed his naked body with her cloak, holding him close to her. "Are crazy? You'll freeze! Turn back and take me home," she said, kissing him briefly on the lips.

"That's all I needed to hear."

/0\

* * *

_Six months later..._

Chiaki was happily humming as she knitted a delicate tiny bootie. She patted her belly and sighed with contentment. Although there were no outward signs of her pregnancy yet, she was well aware of her altered physical state. Every time she visited her mother or grandmother, she would stop by the general store to buy a new skein of yarn to knit something else for the baby. So far she had made a sweater and a long gown along with two other pairs of booties. She would always wait until Sajin was out of the house hunting or gathering food to make the small clothes that she kept hidden in a chest with her clothes. Soon he would be returning from cutting wood. Today she planned to tell him of the impending arrival that would complete their family. Hearing him coming, she stood up from the rocking chair he had made for her.

"Chiaki!" he yelled, bursting through the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked when he lunged for her with a wild look in his eyes.

"They're coming," he muttered, grabbing her and running back out of the door.

"Who? Why? What's going?" she demanded, pulling out of his grip to run back to their quaint little home in the woods.

Sajin was about to yell for her when he saw that she had gone back to get her cloak. There was still a definite chill in the air despite the nearness of spring. He took her by the hand after she tied the cloak securely.

"The woodsmen. They're coming," he told her, pulling her along behind him. "I don't know how they found us, but we have to leave."

"What? Leave?" she nearly shrieked, jerking her hand from his firm grip. "Where will we go?"

"I don't know. Possibly we can return in a few months when the danger is gone, but right now we have to leave." Sajin turned back to look at her when she suddenly refused to move. "What's wrong? Are you afraid? Do I need to carry you?"

"There's something I need to tell you," she murmured breathlessly.

"Here they are!" a male voice bellowed, scaring birds from a nearby tree.

"Not now, let's go," Sajin muttered, grabbing her hand.

A hatchet flew past her shoulder with a whirring sound and hit a pine tree ahead of them. Chiaki screamed, and she was pulled along faster by the large man in front of her. She had no idea where they were running to and was not sure he did either. With no choice but to run, she did her best to keep up. Her lungs began to burn from lack of air and her leg muscles started to cramp in her desperation to match his long legged strides that covered nearly three times the distance her short legs did. Although the threat was close, her body was ready to give out from sheer exhaustion. The muscles in her legs seized, and she fell with a scream, her hand dropping from his.

Sajin whirled around to go to her but was pushed back and sent to the ground by the axe that embedded itself in his shoulder.

"NO!" she screamed, crawling over to him. "No, oh, god, no, Sajin."

Chiaki stretched out her hand, her fingers shaking uncontrollably as she grabbed the long handle of the axe. Forcing her body to stand, she wrapped her fingers tightly around the wooden handle. If she was going to do this, she was going to have to be fully determined before she started to prevent causing him further pain. Meeting his golden eyes and holding his gaze momentarily, she gritted her teeth and held her breath.

"Do it," he commanded her.

Chiaki was sure she would faint when he issued the howl of excruciating pain as she freed the axe blade from not only muscle but bone as well. Dropping to her knees, she cried as he panted, his tanned face turning sickly pale.

"Transform and leave," she told him, tossing the axe away from her.

"I won't leave you," he breathed, coughing as he sat up to touch her face.

"You have to. They'll kill you," she said, pressing her cheek into his palm.

"What about you?" His amber eyes studied her face that was streaked with tears through the smudges of dirt.

"They won't kill me," she assured him, kissing his palm and pushing his hand away. "You have to leave. I'll find you someday. Go...please. If you die, I won't be able to live."

Sajin pulled her toward him for one last kiss before shape shifting into the enormous fox. He galloped away from her before turning back one last time to see her stand to her feet to face the group of four burly men that had been chasing them. Snorting in disgust, he watched as they rushed forward to her, asking her a myriad of questions. He was not sure if she fainted from exhaustion or simply to stop their incessant questioning. After seeing one of the men gingerly pick her up to carry her away, he was satisfied they would not hurt her and turned to leave. _I'll find you someday._ Those words would have to sustain him until that day came.

~/0\~

* * *

Sajin entered the little village that was bustling with visitors. He liked being in a new village on busy market days when they were full of strangers and no one lifted an eyebrow of suspicion at his presence. He was only interested in a hot meal and a glass of beer before finding a place to rest for the night. Tomorrow he would be moving on. For ten years he had searched relentlessly, refusing to give up on her. He was searching for her as zealously as he was sure she was looking for him. Deciding to take a path that led him through the heart of the crowded market, he thought he would indulge in surveying some of the merchants wares. His eyes was treated to an array of colors and visually appealing fruits and vegetables along with hand crafted items made by artisans. The delightful smell of flowers and food filled his nostrils. Standing in one spot, he lifted his nose to sniff the heavily scented air. Picking up something familiar, he inhaled a few more times in an attempt to place the smell, to stir up a memory to help him discover what or who it could belong to. Gazing ahead, he thought he saw a red cloaked figure moving through the crowd. He shook his head because it was probably just another illusion or a stranger in a crimson cape. Many times through the years he was sure he had spotted her only to find a stranger staring back at him in terror underneath the hood. He had no idea that many people in the world would wear red hooded cloaks. His eyes caught sight of the flash of red again and he moved toward it. He had to know for sure.

"Sajin!" a female voice yelled suddenly above the noise of the crowd.

Sajin froze in his tracks wondering who could be calling him. Glancing around, he searched for the source of the sound as she called again.

"Sajin!"

Then he saw her. She pushed back the hood covering her head to reveal the stunning auburn hair that almost matched the color of her cloak. Twisting her head around like she was searching for him, she cried out once more. Moving toward her, he stopped when a little boy of about nine years of age appeared next to him and bumped him in his haste to pass by.

"Sorry, mister," the youngster apologized, glancing up at the big man. "I'm looking for my mama."

Sajin found himself looking into gold eyes that were just like his. He took hold of the boy's shoulders before he could run away.

"Her," he said, lifting the child up and pointing toward the familiar redhead. "Is that your mother?"

"Yes, sir and is she going to be mad!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes widening. "I was supposed to meet her here an hour ago but I got distracted playing with some other kids."

"Come on, I'll take you to her," he offered, placing the child on one wide shoulder to edge his way through the crowd to the frantic mother.

"Sajin! Sa -" Chiaki turned to see both males who were the love of her life and shared that name coming her way. "Oh, god...is this a dream?" she asked herself, tears welling in her eyes and spilling over.

"Mama! Mama!" her son yelled, rushing into her arms when the helpful 'stranger' put him down on the ground.

"Oh, Sajin, where have you been?" she queried, looking up at the tall man behind him.

"Looking for you," both of them answered in unison.

"Mama, are you mad at me? Why are you so sad?" he asked, wiping the tears from her face with his small hand.

"Honey, I'm not mad or sad. I'm happy," she replied, gathering him into her arms as she moved toward his father.

"Is he...is he mine?" Sajin reached out to touch the little boy, staring into the eyes like his and brushing his fingers through the hair the color of hers. He already knew the answer. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because if I had you wouldn't have left. I told you I would find you," she said, smiling up at him.

"Mama, who's this man?"

"Baby, this is your father. Say hello."

"Hello," the child gamely proclaimed, smiling at the man she had been telling him stories about all his life. Needless to say, they were quite different than the ones she had been told.

"Hello...son," he returned, pulling them both into his arms. "Now what do we do?"

"I suppose we should get busy making a happy ending for the rest of our story."

* * *

~The End~

We'll that's it for the first story. I hope you liked it. The next story will be Alice in Wonderland with Sosuke Aizen as the main Bleach character.


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